H-0284.1  _______________________________________________

 

                          HOUSE BILL 1809

          _______________________________________________

 

State of Washington      54th Legislature     1995 Regular Session

 

By Representatives Dyer and Dickerson

 

Read first time 02/09/95.  Referred to Committee on Health Care.

 

Authorizing naturopaths to give direction to registered nurses.



    AN ACT Relating to naturopath's authority to give direction to persons licensed under chapter 18.79 RCW; and amending RCW 18.79.260 and 18.79.270.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

 

    Sec. 1.  RCW 18.79.260 and 1994 1st sp.s. c 9 s 426 are each amended to read as follows:

    A registered nurse under his or her license may perform for compensation nursing care, as that term is usually understood, of the ill, injured, or infirm, and in the course thereof, she or he may do the following things that shall not be done by a person not so licensed, except as provided in RCW 18.79.270:

    (1) At or under the general direction of a licensed physician and surgeon, dentist, osteopathic physician and surgeon, naturopathic physician, podiatric physician and surgeon, physician assistant, osteopathic physician assistant, or advanced registered nurse practitioner acting within the scope of his or her license, administer medications, treatments, tests, and inoculations, whether or not the severing or penetrating of tissues is involved and whether or not a degree of independent judgment and skill is required;

    (2) Delegate to other persons engaged in nursing, the functions outlined in subsection (1) of this section;

    (3) Instruct nurses in technical subjects pertaining to nursing;

    (4) Hold herself or himself out to the public or designate herself or himself as a registered nurse.

 

    Sec. 2.  RCW 18.79.270 and 1994 1st sp.s. c 9 s 427 are each amended to read as follows:

    A licensed practical nurse under his or her license may perform nursing care, as that term is usually understood, of the ill, injured, or infirm, and in the course thereof may, under the direction of a licensed physician and surgeon, osteopathic physician and surgeon, dentist, naturopathic physician, podiatric physician and surgeon, physician assistant, osteopathic physician assistant, advanced registered nurse practitioner acting under the scope of his or her license, or at the direction and under the supervision of a registered nurse, administer drugs, medications, treatments, tests, injections, and inoculations, whether or not the piercing of tissues is involved and whether or not a degree of independent judgment and skill is required, when selected to do so by one of the licensed practitioners designated in this section, or by a registered nurse who need not be physically present; if the order given is reduced to writing within a reasonable time and made a part of the patient's record.

 


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